Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Okay, I've seen you guys has been talking about DIY amp kits. I've been told that it's something that's really hard make... especially if we're talking high gain amps.
So far I've build 3 (soon 4, hopefully) BYOC kits, and I love to make my own stuff. How would I know when I'm ready to build one? I think I'd want to make an amp that I could use when I start playing in a band, but still it'd be great if it could be used at home as well (I've got the space for a stack). Maybe I'd would be a "simple" amp, 'cause I make distortion with the pedals I've got, so I'd just demand some output and EQ.
What would I need to know before I start?

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First of all building a stomp box and a tube amplifier are two totally different things. With a tube amp you're dealing with voltages high enough to KILL you. Building 3 or 4 BYOC kits is not enough experience for a novice to jump into amp building. If you have a friend or relative that knows what they are doing have them help you along. If you don't I strongly suggest doing a lot of reading on the subject.

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"It’s your soldering."

I have been working with electronics since high-school. (40 megabyte hard drive was washing machine sized)
I still get bit by "dis-charged" capacitors once in a while, luckily I have a habit of keeping one hand behind my back when poking around in a tube amp.
Safely building/Testing/Trouble shooting a tube amp is no joke.

"What would I need to know before I start?" make a mistake and you will die

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Yeah, I know it's dangerous (anything hooked up to the standard 220V is). And the BYOC kits was just to show you what I know.

Correct me if I'm wrong, you guys think I should stay away from such a thing for a few years, while I read about it. Can I find some stuff to read on the internet, or should I buy a book?

But to make a speaker cabinet, that wouldn't kill me, right?

Go to ax84 and download the builders guide. They have gobs of usefull information there.
I would say that if you studied up and gathered loads of info, you could start building a simple amp in 2 months. The biggest pain in the ass is cutting holes in a chassis.
Stephen seems to like building HO's, he makes the finest HO's I have ever seen.
I would have to say that Stephen is The HO Master.

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New and Improved, now with WHEELS!

Just to echo what has been said here, safety is the number one thing to be aware of when working with tube amps. That being said, there is a ton of information available on line and if you spend enough time studying and taking everything that you read about safety to heart, I would think that you would be able to tackle a simple amp after a bit of serious study. I have built three tube amps thus far and most of the information that I acquired was obtained at places like ax84.com and 18watt.com

I would recommend starting with a simple circuit like the P1, P1 eXtreme or a Fender Champ. The P1 and eXtreme have full tone stacks, while a champ style circuit is a bit easier to build due to the lack of the full stack. Any of the designs can be built with a solid state rectifier, which simplifies them further. Once you get comfortable with those designs, you can always move up to something more complex.

I had a good laugh at that, i wonder what the people that don't know what a HO is are thinking?

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If there's ever an obscene noise to be made on an instrument, it's gonna come out of a guitar! - Frank Zappa

I started with tube amps and worked my way back to pedals. Pedals seem really easy now. Haven't built an amp in months!

Just read a lot, ask a lot of questions, know what you're doing before you do it, and pay attention to where you're putting your fingers (always a good rule).

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MasterDelayer/Reverbrador/Ampaholic/TopJacker

I just started the K-502 stereo amp kit from Antique Electronic Supply tonight. So far, it has been very simple. No, it's not a guitar amp, but the ideas the same. Looks like a cool rig so far.

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I wasn't planing on building an amp in a few months. I was thinking about doin' it around fall (that would be september). So there will be a chance for me to buil one

I'll start reading right now!

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HO master? Is that anything like a pimp?

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"It’s your soldering."